Modern communications and data networks are comprised of nodes that transport data through the network. The nodes may include routers, switches, bridges, or combinations thereof that transport the individual data packets or frames through the network. Some networks may offer data services that forward data frames from one node to another node across the network without using pre-configured routes on intermediate nodes. Other networks may forward the data frames from one node to another node across the network along pre-configured or pre-established paths.
Some networks implement Internet Protocol (IP) and/or Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) to route data (e.g., using packets of frames) between the network components. The IP directs data between network nodes based on IP addresses assigned to the network nodes and routing tables that comprise the addresses. The MPLS is a protocol that directs data from one network node to the next based on short path labels rather than network addresses, avoiding complex lookups in routing tables. Some networks also use Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP) routing protocol to exchange routing information (also referred to as signaling) within a network, network domain, or autonomous system (AS).